With thousands of drivers on the road every day in the average American
city, the odds of encountering a negligent driver is unfortunately high.
In fact, it is estimated by the National Safety Council (NSC) and other
vehicle safety groups that about 12% of all drivers don’t even have
adequate car insurance and/or a current driver’s license. The reality
is that you are likely to one day get into an
auto accident that is not your fault.
While you can’t predict when you will get into a crash due to another
driver’s mistakes, you can plan for the crash ahead of time. Knowing
what to do immediately after a traffic collision will help you build a
viable and convincing injury claim later.
Steps to Always Follow After an Auto Accident
Call for help: If your accident is serious enough to cause an injury or significant vehicular
damage, you need to call 911 to get emergency responders on the scene.
Firefighters help extract people from damaged vehicles, paramedics address
urgent injuries, and police officers clear traffic away from the scene.
Choose your words carefully: Do not apologize to anyone at the scene of the crash. Insurance companies
are notorious for twisting apologies into admissions of guilt later, meaning
you could say “I’m sorry” and it somehow raises your
own liability.
Take photographs: If you are in any condition to do so, start taking pictures of the accident
scene with your smartphone. The more pictures you get, the better your
case will be, as concrete evidence speaks strongly to insurance companies
and juries alike. You need photographs of both vehicles, all injuries,
the surrounding environment like tire marks on the road, nearby traffic
signals and signs, and the weather.
Talk to bystanders: If anyone has stopped to try to lend a hand after your crash, then do not
hesitate to ask them if they saw how the accident happened. Ask them to
write down a testimonial of what they saw if it seems like it can help
your claim. You can ask them to text or email you their testimonials when
pen and paper is unavailable.
Get official records: You can talk to any firefighters, paramedics, and police officers who arrive
to the scene of your auto accident about getting copies of their official
records and reports. The word of a law enforcement officer, for example,
is more difficult to refute than the average passerby, further strengthening
your claim.
See a doctor: In case you have not gotten emergency medical attention after your crash,
arrange to see your doctor the same day by going into your urgent care
center. Your doctor can ensure there are no severe underlying injuries.
Additionally, your liability for your injuries will increase if you don’t
see a medical professional soon after a crash.
Speak with an attorney: Call an auto accident attorney as soon as you have an opportunity, hopefully
within the first two hours after your crash. Many people choose to talk
with an injury lawyer ever before calling their own insurance company
so they know what to say to their insurer. Your attorney can help you
start creating your claim with the insight of a professional.
You Can Count on Attorney James Flinn
If you live in or around New Orleans and get into a serious car wreck,
Attorney James Flinn and our legal team at his law firm are here to help
you. We focus on auto accidents and other
personal injury claims, and we are not afraid to take your case to trial if necessary
to pursue maximized compensation on your behalf.
Initial case evaluations are FREE so you have nothing to lose by calling
888.287.7926 and getting into
contact with our law firm today.
